The Public Education Odyssey: Navigating Challenges and Finding Strength
By: Natalie UrenoI have been a product of public education for my whole life–from being a student in the Hayward Unified School District, to attending Chabot Community College, to finally getting my bachelor’s degree at UC Berkeley. None of these institutions were private, and they defined the trajectory of my own educational journey and how I perceive myself.
Within my public education journey, I struggled a lot. There were not many personalized programs for students to explore their interests, and if there were, they were always funded through community efforts. The lack of personalized programs that either barely had any resources or were getting removed from my school entirely, made me afraid to dream or think of anything bigger outside of my current circumstances. This made me develop a scarcity mindset that impacted my sense of belonging. I did not want to get my hopes up, so as I was graduating high school, I made the decision to attend community college first, then transfer. Community college was a safer option because there was financial security, I was close to home, and I had the time to figure out what I wanted to truly pursue before committing to something as big as a four year university. I feared financial insecurity and debt, but I also yearned to have the same coming-of-age experiences that my peers had.
While I was in community college, not only was I able to save money because my tuition was covered butI was able to find myself in ways I had never pictured. My time at community college was coming to a close, and with this newfound confidence in mind, I applied to transfer with the intention of majoring in ethnic studies and education as I realized that I wanted to become a teacher. To my excitement, I was accepted and thus committed to UC Berkeley.
Once I got to UC Berkeley, I faced reality very quickly. When I first was accepted, I believed that I was here because of my hard work ethnic and my intelligence. I was here completely based on merit, with financial aid covering my tuition as I couldn’t afford it on my own. Being in the so-called “berkeley bubble”, I realized that the people I was sitting next to had very different educational experiences than I did and did not have to worry about the issues I had in terms of finances, job security, and guidance. It felt like they knew more than I did, and that they had access to more opportunities and resources because of their tax bracket. As much as we hate to admit it, money can open doors for you that can completely change your experience. Due to these differing privileges, I felt resentful of my K-12 educational experience because I feel like it was unable to truly prepare me for higher education.
One way that I combatted this was surrounding myself with people who could relate to me. I surrounded myself with queer people of color who also came from marginalized communities and faced financial insecurity. Whenever I spent time with my friends at Berkeley, it reminded me of home, and I felt far less alone and also used my friends as inspiration and hope. There are so many kids who come from public school, and they all feel the imposter syndrome when they attend four year universities, whatever way it takes to get there.
Though I am grateful for my public education experience, I feel like I deserved more. I deserved more preparation, more resources, the ability to explore my passions through my formative years, and to trust that my school would have enough financial resources to cater and serve the students that attend it. With more funding and financial security in public education, public school students will have the opportunity to dream bigger and aim higher without fear and doubt. This is why I urge a call to action for the reform of proposition 13, because supporting reform that addresses educational inequity and resources is essential.